Most Malaysian must have at least heard of the word Orang Asli being used. Some use it as a joke or maybe as a phrase that exists in a textbook. However, not all Malaysian know that there are 3 main group of Orang Asli and within those 3 groups they are split into 18 sub-ethnic groups.
Frequently being overshadowed by the current nation-wide development in Malaysia, lies a small village that houses the Orang Asli Temuan in Pulau Kempas.
WHO ARE THE TEMUAN PEOPLE?
The Temuan people have kept their unique identity for generations. They mainly live in the states of Selangor, Malacca, Pahang, Johor, and Negeri Sembilan, and follow the Perpatih custom. Physically, they are like their cousins from other states in Malaysia. Their administrative system is more organized compared to others. The Temuan leadership consists of six (6) main positions: Batin, Pemangku Batin, Tok Jenang, Tok Panglima, Tok Cekerah, and Tok Pengawa. The Penghulu Balai plays an important role in managing the village hall. As one of Malaysia’s Orang Asli communities, the Temuan people are closely connected to nature and maintain a strong cultural tradition, balancing the old and the new in their daily lives.
TEMUAN VILLAGE HISTORY
In the past, Pulau Kempas and Bukit Cheeding village were under the same Tok Batin leadership. Both villages were located near the swamp forest known as Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve. According to folklore, the name Pulau Kempas originated from two words, Pulau and Kempas. The word ‘Pulau’ was a representation of the peat swamp forest as it is flooded with water, making the area look like an island. While the word ‘Kempas’ is after a dominant tree species that found in a high hilly area near the village called the Kempas tree.
In 1816, the first settlement in Kampung Pulau Kempas was opened by the first Batin, Batin Mohmad bin Dempak. He held the position of Batin to four (4) different villages, Kampung Orang Asli Pulau Kempas, Bukit Cheeding, Bukit Perah and Bukit Lembak during Myang Pelangi ruling. Moyang Pelangi held the position of Ketua Batin. The area ruled by Moyang Pelangi is very wide, which includes Jenang Lijah’s and Jenang Lanchang’s area. In Dengkil, Moyang Pelangi is a famous figure and the tax collector around Dengkil.
During the 4th Selangor Sultanate, Almarhun Sultan Abdul Samad Ibni Almarhun Raja Abdullah, Orang Asli Temuan has a very special relationship with the royals and was given a wide range of wandering area (Kawasan rayau). Sultan gave Orang Asli Temuan his permission to settle down in that area.
LANGUAGE OF THE TEMUAN PEOPLE
Temuan have their own language called Temuan. It is an Austronesian language that closely resembles Malay. Here are some examples of it:
Bahasa Melayu - Bahasa Temuan - English Language
Saya - Akuk - I
Kamu - Ong - You
Ayah - Ayah - Father
Ibu - Mak - Mother
Abang - Ge’ek - Brother
Kakak - Gauk - Sister
Adik - Adik - Younger Sister/Brother
Apa Khabar? - Apak Kaba - How are you?
Khabar Baik. - Kaba Baik - I’m fine
Selamat Pagi - Selamat Pagik - Good morning
Selamat Petang - Selamat Petang- Good afternoon
Selamat Malam - Selamat Gelap - Good night
As you can see, some phrases and words presented by Bahasa Temuan are different from Bahasa Melayu and some are similar.
TRADITION CULTURE OF TEMUAN PEOPLE
Orang Asli Temuan has their own traditional musical instrument that was made from material found in the forest such as wood, bamboo, rattan, animal skins and others. Their common musical instruments are tuntong, bamboo flute and kerating. Each village have their own distinctive tunes, and their song are influenced by stories of everyday life and myths of the Orang Asli Temuan. Normally, their music is played during ceromies like ‘Haik Muyang’ or ancestral day, weddings or a visit from VIPs.
The kercang is one of the Temuan traditional games that will be played to bring joy after a hard day work and to liven the ceremony. Most traditional game equipment is made from wood, bamboo, rattan and many others. Kercang is made from rattan. Its arrangement is based on the difficulty you at. The more layers of rattan it has. The more difficult the games become. The goal of the game is to free the string through layers of rattan arrangement without breaking and forcefully removing any part of the structure. It is said the same resembles a traveler navigating through the forest, overcoming obstacles to find the way out. Bottom line, this game is good to develop mental sharpness and problem-solving aspects of the human brain.
ANIMAL TRAPS
Hunting is a common activity for Temuan people because it’s their source of food. Temuan people are very creative in creating their tools and traps such as: blowpipe, snare, traps, spears, bubu ikan, lukah, tua, tanggok, jebak, sawa pelanteh and many more. These tools and traps aren’t just used to find sources of food but to also protect them during their search. Their blowpipe and spear are their most famous tool for hunting and have become their community symbols. Blowpipes are commonly used to hunt animals like monkeys, deer and mouse deer. Traps and snares are commonly set along animal trails and used to catch small animals like bamboo rat, squirell, porcupine and even birds.
TRADITIONAL FOOD
As we know from the previous content, Temuan people mostly get their food from hunting, farming and raising and tending to livestock. Now we are going to dive into the dishes they make using those hunting goods. Orang Asli Temuan way of cooking is mainly focus on grilling and boiling, through this method they can associate fragrance from the wood they use to their food to create those amazing scene. Orang Asli Temuan believes this way of cooking will high nutrients to their food. Among the dishes they have, the most famous is chicken and semomok leaves cooked in bamboo. The staple food for Orang Asli Temuan is called Ubi Kacau.
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
In term of medical, Orang Asli Temuan communities believe that most of their sickness came for spirits and supernatural forces. In that sense they believe more in the use of traditional medicine than modern medication. They would enlist the services of shaman or charmers to help cure their illness. Most common method used by shaman or charmers is using herbs collected from the forest and incantation.
TRADITIONAL CLOTH
Orang Asli Temuan traditional cloth is made from bark from Terap tree founded in the forest. The cloth thickness is very thin as of why they only use it during special occasions such as weddings, coronation of Batin, ancestral day celebration and VIP visits. The bark from Terap tree will be made into cloth for the men while for the woman it would be made into blouses and sarongs. Other items that they will use incorporate with their traditional cloth are simpai, a bracelet made of rattan, beaded earrings, necklaces and headbands called tempuk made from Terap tree bark. Another most significant attires of Orang Asli Temuan is called the tanjak. Tanjak is made of mengkuang, nipah and coconut leaves. You were it on your head like a crown. The tanjak is usually presented by the Batin to honor guests visiting. This is a sign of welcoming their arrival.
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
Just like us Malaysian, Orang Asli Temuan do have their own and unique wedding customs. However, there are some aspects that is very similar to a Malay wedding such as ‘merisik’, ‘meminang’, presenting dowries and others.
The process begins with the man (future groom) inform his parent of his intension to marry his female companion. It is then the father of the man will initiate a move call ‘merisik’ to the female’s father.
After ‘merisik’ and before the engagement day, both the fathers of the couple will find a wali among the closest family member for the engagement ceremony. The appointed wali will inform the Lembaga Adat of the engagement day. Their engagement day will only be held once both families agreed to marry the couple.
On the day of the engagement, it is customary for the man to give gift to the woman’s family, including two types of bujam. In the case of the younger siblings getting married before an older sibling due to a certain circumstances, the younger siblings must present the same gift to their older brother and sister. The gift will be determined by the wali and the dowry is different depending on their position.
The wedding date will be collaboratively determined by both parties after the engagement ceremony. Henna ceremony will be conducted on a Friday evening before the wedding ceremony and the wedding ceremony will be held the next day after two in the afternoon. The reason for this is because between one and two o’clock, a funeral ceremony is often held. Another reason for this is because between 12 noon to 2 o’clock in the afternoon, it is believed that the sun is at its highest and it could bring bad luck to the wedding.
During the wedding ceremony, ‘adat bersanding’ is held to celebrate both bride and groom. ‘menepung tawar’ is a compulsory event in the Temuan wedding ceremony since it’s part of their custom. This is done to cleanse the heart, avoid illness, be loved by all family members and the bride and groom to live happily ever after.
After the wedding, the bride will perform a flower bath to cleanse the body before entering the realm of marriage and to ease the couple in making a living.
CONCLUSION
Orang Asli Temuan has a deep and amazing tradition and culture. Every part of them is unique even if their methods are foreign. But because indifference is what makes them worth learning about. If we have some time it’s best we learn about their indifference to open our border of knowledge.